Staple-set paintbrush



p 12, 1950 1.. R. SCHUMANN 2,522,305

STAPLE-SET PAINTBRUSH Filed Sept. 2, 1947 INVENTOR W 8A LAWRENCE R. ScHuMA/wv BY mu u um' 060m Jun/mu R m r ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 12, 1950 if UNITED STATES PATENT bFFlc-s 2,522,305 STAPLE-SET PAINTBRUSH Lawrence R. Schumann, Boston, Mass. f Application September 2, 1947, Serial No. 771,733 2 (01. 15-204) 7 2 Claims.

This invention relates to paint brushes and more particularly to a paint brush in which individual, spaced tufts of bristles are set into the brush handle, preferably by stapling. I The art of staple setting bristles in tufts into brushes is, of course, well known and is extensively used in setting bristles in various types of brushes, such as sweeping and dusting brushes, tooth brushes, and the like, commonly used dry or in a semi-dry condition. In paint brushes, how-ever, where liquid carrying and spreading properties are 'of' primary consideration, stable setting, so far as I am aware, has never been employed.

' The principal cost,'aside from the workmanship which goes into this manufacture of a paint brush, is in the bristles. The working, or paint applying, portion of the bristles of a paint brush is 'confi ned in proper use of the brush, to the lower portion of the bristles which must present a substantially uniform, compact mass or bundle to give the brush its spreading fqualities. The re. mainder of the bristle length serves to add flex' ibility to the bristles and to hold paint by capil lar'y action between the bristles. r In accordance with this invention, the desirable paint applying properties of a conventional rubber or plastic set brush may be retained in with the understanding that various changes may be made therein such as in the size and shape and the arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention. r In the accompanying drawings in which there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention by way of illustration:

' Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a paint brush made in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a i'ragmental bottom plan view of the handle before settingthe bristles therein Figure 3 is a fragmental side elevational view of the lower end of the handle; I

Figure 4 is a fragmental edge elevatio-nal viewof the lower end, of the handle;

Figure 5 is a fragmental sectional view taken on the lines 5-5 of Figure 2 showing'longitud i nal arrangement and method of setting the bris'e paint brushes in which individual tufts of bristles are set in the handle and improved paint carrying or holding properties obtained. Moreover, a brush made in accordance with this invention can be produced at a fraction of the cost of a comparable rubber set brush made according to accepted methods. It is therefore an objector this invention to provide a paint brush in which the workingends of the bristles of the several, individual tufts are equally distributed in a substantially uniform mass or bundle of desired shape. 7 Another object of the invention is to provide a paint brush of the above character in which the tufts of bristles in th portion of their length above the working portion are separated in a manner to form a plurality of wells or reservoirs for the reception of paint giving the brush somewhat the efiect of a fountain brush.

Another object of theinv'ention is to provide a paint brush of the above character in which adjacent tufts are flattened somewhat or made elliptical in the same direction to form' elongated spaces between adjacent rows of bristles and in which other tufts of bristles are flattened at right angles to the flattening of those in the rows toclose the ends of the spaces to form the wells. Afurther object of the invention is to provide a paint brush which is economical to manufacture because of the reduced number of'bris'tles required and because it is subject to manufacture by automatic machinery.

With the above and other objects and advantageswin view, the invention consists in the parts, and ccmbinationshereinafter set-forth tle tufts;

Figure 6 is a fragmental sectional view t'aken on the line 5-6 of Figur-e'2 showing the transverse arrangement of the bristle tufts, and

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of the bristle arrangement taken on the line l-| of Figure 6.

Referring first to Figures 1 through 4, there is shown a brush handle I of conventional shape for a flat brush of the type for applying paint, varnish, enamel lacquer, etc. The handle illustrated is shown by way of example and may take various accepted shapes according to the use to which, the brush is to be put and may be formed of wood, molded plastic or other accepted" materials. Formed on the bottom face 2 of the handle are a series of parallel ribs 3 ofrectangularv cross section and preferably. extending transversely across the lower face of the handle, asis best illustrated in Figure 2.- The ends of ribs 3 should terminate short of the corresponding side faces of the handle. Ribs 3 will ordinarily extend substantially perpendicular to the sides .ofthebrush.v They may, howeven-be oblique to the sides without departing fromthe scope of this invention. 1

Between adjacent ribs 3 the handle-is provided with a row of equally spaced sockets 4 of a diameter appropriate to receive tightly a tuft of bristles.- The sockets 4 are preferably spaced relatively close togetherland the end sockets of the rows are substantially tangential to the end faces of ribs 3. The handle is also provided with a row'of sockets 5 outside the-rib at each end of the'row thereof and aligned with the outer vertical face of the ribs. In addition, a socket 6 is provided at opposite ends of each rib, as shown in Figure'z. N

As stated, the-sockets 4, 5 and B are of a diameter to receive tightly a tuft of the desired number of bristles, Preferably the width of the ribs 3, the spacing-therebe'tween and the-diameterof the sockets 4, 5 and 6 are substantially equal so that thecylindricalwalls of the sockets lie tanseenin Figures5 and6. 1

As shown in Figures and 6, the bristles are staple set in tufts in the sockets 4, 5 and 6. This may be done in usual manner and the particular method of stapling forms no part of the present invention. For instance, the staple setting may be accomplished by placing a U-shaped staple,

such as indicated at 'i in Figure 6, about the mid portion of a bundle of aligned bristles (or in certain cases adjacent the butt end of a bundle of bristles), bending the bundle about the staple to form a tuft 3, setting the tuft in the socket, and driving the staple into the bottom of the socket. The number of bristles in each tuft bundle is measured in order that the aforementioned tight fit of the tuft in the socket maybe obtained. Ihen it will be found that the bristles of each tuft will fan outwardly somewhat from the rim of the socket to meet bristles'of adjacent tufts a distance down from the lower face of the handle depending principally upon the spacing between adjacent sockets.

Because of the substantially tangential position of the sockets i and 5 in respect to the ribs 3, the vertical walls of the ribs engage the tufts extending from those sockets for a short distance from the rims of sockets A and 5. The tufts are thereby flattened to an essentially elliptical shape with the long axis of the tuft parallel to the faces of the ribs. The bristles of adjacent tufts 8A in the same row of tufts will come together relatively close to the face 2 of the brush handle, as .is indicated by intersection 9 in Figure 6-, because of the elliptical shape to give a continuous, uniform mass of bristles along any one row over the major portion of the length of the bristles. Similarly the tufts 8B and 3C are flattenedto form a continuous. mass of bristles along the outer surfaceof the brush. I

On the other hand, the flattening of the tufts by the ribs cause the bristles in adjacent rows to come together at a greater distance from the face 2 of the brush, as is illustrated in Figure 5 by reference numeral Hi. Between adjacent rows oftufts. there will, consequently, be a series of Wells or reservoirs ll near the. facev of the brush and under each of the ribs 3. Wells or reservoirs H will be essentially triangular in vertical cross section and will extend for the full length of the ribs 3 across the face 2 of the brush. The ends of the reservoirs It at opposite sides of the menting. In the case ofplastic handles suitable plastic cements are employed for setting the bristles in preference to stapling because of the nature of the handle material. Again, with appropriate plastic handles and bristles, high frequency or induction heating may be employed for setting the bristles.

From the above it will be seen that the invention provides a paint brush in which the working ends of the bristles are arranged in a compact bundle to give desirable paint applying and spreadingqualities to the brush. Moreover, the arrangement of the tufts of bristles provides reservoirs to hold paint and provides improved paint carrying properties. In addition, and while providing the above desirable characteristics, the invention provides substantial economies in manufacture by the use of less bristle and by lending itself to manufacture by automatic machinery of well known design.

I claim:

.1. A paint. brush comprising a handle having a face for the reception of bristles, aseries-of ribs on the face substantially perpendicular to the sides of the handle, said ribs terminating short of the edges of the face, there being a plurality of sockets. in the face between adjacent ribs and tangent tothe ribs, the outermost of said sockets having their outer surfaces substantially even with the ends of the ribs, there being other sockets in the face: at the ends of the ribs and tangent thereto, there being still other sockets tangent to. the ribs. at the end of the brush, and tufts of bristles staple set in each of the sockets, said ribs separating rows of tufts and flattening the tufts in contact therewith to bring adjacent tufts incontact with each other close to said ribs and form substantially enclosed reservoirs for holding adjacent theupper portions of the bristles into a substantially uniform bundle.

2. A paint brush comprisingv a handle having-a facefor the reception of bristles, a series of ribs on the face, said ribs being spaced apart a distance substantially equal to their width, there being a plurality of closely-spaced sockets between the ribs having a diameter substantially brush "are closed by tufts 8C at the end of the brush. Y I

' In practice it will usually be' found that the reservoir II will extend downward from one to two-thirds of the distance from the face 2 of the handle to the ends of the bristles. When the brush is dipped, paint will flow into the reservoirs and will drain therefrom as the paint is squeezed from between the lower ends of the bristles in use of the brush. Thus the brush operates somewhat in the manner of the usual fountain brush. The lower third of the bristles or Working ends form a substantially uniformly compact bundle to spread the paint efliciently. Since usually a brush is discarded after five or ten-percent of the bristle length is Worn away, the brush will function normally during its averagelife. In other words, the brush will serve its normal useful life long before the bristles ends have worn sufficiently to open up the wells or reservoirs by bristle enddestruction.

While staple setting is disclosed herein as a simple and economical method of securing the bristles in the handle, it is obvious that other known methods may be employed, such as ceequal to the spacing between the ribs, there being othersockets tangent to the ends of the ribs, still other sockets tangent to the outer surfaces of the end ribs, and tufts of bristles staple set in the sockets, said ribs separating rows of tufts and flattening the tufts in contact therewith to bring adjacent tufts in contact with each other close to saidribs and form substantially enclosed reservoirs. for holding paint adjacent the upper portions of the bristles and form the lower portions. of the bristlesinto a substantially uniform bundle. Y

LAWRENCE R. SCHU'MANN REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

